lotrfandomcom-20200223-history
Vána
Vána (Quenya; IPA: - "Beautiful One") was an Ainu and a Valië who was responsible for the preserving of the youth made for all life in Arda. Among the seven Valier, Vána was considered the sixth in terms of importance.The Silmarillion, Valaquenta, "Of the Valar" She was sister of Yavanna and wife of Orome, and was possibly related to Melian. She was also known as "Vána the Ever-Young". Biography Vána was the younger sister of Yavanna (Queen of the Earth) and the wife of Oromë (Huntsman of the Valar). In Vána's dwellings she had gardens filled with golden flowers; and often, Vána came to the forests of Oromë. Like her sister, the province of Vána was growing things of the world and she was a lover of nature. Vána had influence with the flora and fauna of Middle-earth, and she was associated especially with flowers thus Vána was also known as the "Queen of Flowers".The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: ''Morgoth's Ring'', The Later Quenta Silmarillion, The First Phase: "Of the Valar" It was said that when the Valar Tulkas and Nessa were wedded on the Isle of Almaren, the first dwelling of the Valar, Vána robed her sister-in-law Nessa the Swift (sister of Oromë) with her flowers.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Annals of Aman, "The First Year of the Valar in Arda" In the days of the Two Trees of Valinor, Arien of the Maiar, before she came to carry the vessel of the Sun, had served Vána by tending to the golden flowers of Vána's gardens, watering them with bright dews from golden tree Laurelin.The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Ch. XI: "The Tale of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor" Melian also was another Maia who initially served Vána, before she departed for Middle-earth.The Silmarillion, Valaquenta, "Of the Maiar" After the Darkening of Valinor and the flight of the Noldor to Middle-Earth, most of the Valar were glad to have their ancient peace back, wishing neither the rumors of Melkor and his violence nor the murmur of the restless Noldor to come upon them again. Thus for such reasons, they clamored for the concealment of their land Aman. It was said that Vána was one among them.''The History of Middle-earth'', Vol. II: The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, chapter III: "The Fall of Gondolin" Character According to The Silmarillion, "All flowers spring as Vána passes and opens if she glances upon them; and all birds sing at her coming." Vána robed herself in flowers and it was said that her hair was golden in color.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, chapter XIII: "The Tale of the Sun and Moon" Vána had the beauty of both heaven and earth upon her face and in all her works.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part II, Quenta Silmarillion: "Of the Valar", pg. 226 Like Nessa, Vána also sang and danced along with her maidens. The Maiar of Vána *Arien, the Maia who guided the Sun, was one of her Maiar in Valinor. *Melian, who later in Middle-earth became Queen of Doriath by marrying the Elf-King Thingol. Etymology The name Vána may have been derived from the Quenya word vanima ("beautiful"), as she is often described as "fair".The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies" Hence she was also known as Vána the Fair. Trivia * Vána could possibly be related to Aragorn. Vána's sister Yavanna was said to be kin of Melian, and that could mean that Vána is also related to Melian, who is an ancestor of Aragorn. Her relation to Aragorn might also ensure her relation with other characters such as Luthien, Arwen, Elros, and Elrond. * Her possible relation to Melian might be the reason Melian served her. * Vána as a lover of nature, might also be a Vala of the Maia Aiwendil. Other versions of the legendarium Vána and her husband Oromë were once envisioned to have had a daughter named Nielíqui.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, chapter III: "The Coming of the Valar and the Building of Valinor" In another material, Vána was the younger sister of Queen Varda and Yavanna. Vána played a formative role in the growth of great golden Tree Laurelin: "Then was the pit covered with rich earths that Palúrien (Yavanna) devised, and Vána came who loveth life and sunlight and at whose song the flowers arise and open, and the murmur of her maidens round her was like to the merry noise of the folk that stir abroad for the first time on a bright morning. There sang she the song of spring upon the mound, and danced about it, and watered it with great streams of that golden light that Ulmo (Lord of All Waters) had brought from the spilled lakes--as yet was Kulullin almost o'erflowing at that time. In earlier versions laid out in The History of Middle-earth, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote that when the great Two Trees of Valinor were destroyed, Vána fell into inconsolable grief for her great love for the golden Tree Laurelin. Furthermore, Vána then attempted to gather what she could of the spilled light in order to rekindle the dead Tree Laurelin. Yet, as Vána clung to the dead trunk of Laurelin after all ministrations had failed to rekindle the tree, her tears finally coaxed forth a new golden shoot that bore one golden fruit. The Valar used this golden fruit to construct the Sun that Vána's maiden Urwen ''(Arien) would later lead across the sky. Then Vána, in repentance of her earlier doubts, cut short her golden ''hair to weave the sails of the Sun-ship. Gallery Translations References Category:Quenya words Category:Valar Category:The Silmarillion Characters Category:Characters in The History of Middle-earth de:Vána es:Vána it:Vána pl:Vána ru:Вана sk:Vána uk:Вана